Discovery at Musikfest

It's embarrassing when someone from out of town has to lead one (meaning ME) to something on the Main Street of one's (me again) lifelong hometown.  My friend's daughter-in-law, whom I hope I can call my friend, too, led me into Seasons on Bethlehem's Main Street on Friday night during Musikfest.  Seasons is a taproom offering large samovar-looking kegs of flavored olive oil and vinegar.  WOW!!  That's pretty much all I can say, so I'll say it again.  WOW!  Small plastic cups allow customers to sample the oils and vinegars and then corked bottles are available for sale.  My young Alabaman friend had purchased vinegars for her family during Christmas and raved about the flavors.  Some of the more exotic vinegars included Dark Chocolate Balsamic, Pomegranate, Fig, Honey Ginger.  There was a strawberry infused olive oil, too.  I am going back as soon as the rain stops.

Because, of course, it always rains during Musikfest.  This week was not as bad as some past years.  It rained the first night, I think and then last night and today.   Thursday night was beautiful, with comfortable temperatures and manageable crowds.  I spent most of the evening at Lyrikplatz, next to the blacksmith shop on Main Street.  I was there to listen to Brenda Kahn and her guitarist, Andrei Maurer.  

In a previous post I described Brenda's music as swingy without being Swing. Um, not quite.  She's a head banger in a folky pair of jeans.  Her lyrics are edgy and her melodies are unpredictable.  There's no lulling the audience into the complacency of an easy listening experience with Brenda.  She does sing about the commonplace, the stuff we all relate to and then smacks it into the middle of the real angst driven world.  Andrei's guitar was, as I always think it is, a fine accompaniment to Brenda's songs.

I got to see the Carillon man for the first time on Thursday night, too.  He's got quite an act, sitting there beside his cage of bells in his spooky metal mask.  He dramatically swings his arms up as each piece draws to a close and then lowers his masked face into his hands.  He's fun to watch and the crowd loves him.  And,  no one knows who he is.....spooky!  Oh wait, yes we do.  He has a website and his performance is known as Cast in Bronze.

 His name is Frank Della Penna. But he could pass you on the street, in plain clothes, and you...would...never...know.